DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. It is now beginning to make my feet numb, but not painful. Is there anything out there that might help the numbness? I am sure there are other folks with the same problem. — W.S.

ANSWER: Other folks with peripheral neuropathy? How about 20 million other Americans? That’s the estimate of the number of people with this disorder. It’s a common problem with an unfortunate name that makes it sound exotic and rare.

Nerves, the “neuro” of “neuropathy,” conduct signals sent from the brain to muscles so that they’ll move in the way we want them to. Nerves bring signals from all body locations to the brain to register pain, itching, coolness and every other sensation. In peripheral neuropathy, the body’s electric grid, nerves, has gone kaput. Muscles don’t function. They become weak. Or, nerves send a barrage of painful signals to strike the brain so the person feels pain without any painful cause taking place. Or an area loses all feeling, becomes numb — another sign of neuropathy. An example of muscles deprived of nerve signals is a foot drop. The nerve that activates muscles to keep the foot parallel to the ground when taking a step no longer functions, and the foot droops downward to cause stumbling.

The causes of neuropathy are many. Sometimes it’s due to heredity and genes. At other times, it results from an attack on nerves by the immune system. An underlying illness can bring on neuropathy; diabetes is the leading example of that. Many times, doctors have to call the neuropathy idiopathic, meaning a cause cannot be found.

If a cause can be identified, eliminating it can restore nerve function. Medicines help control the pain of painful neuropathies. For weakened muscles, braces and physical therapy are examples of treatment. For neuropathy-induced numbness, the options are fewer. Alternating soaking the affected limb in cold and then hot baths can be effective. Massage might be helpful.

Contact The Neuropathy Association at its toll-free number, 888-PN-FACTS, or on the Internet at www.neuropathy.org. It will provide you with a wealth of information and make you feel like you are not an isolated case.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have peripheral artery disease. I read an article about EDTA and how it removes artery plaque. Is there any merit to this claim? — A.S.

ANSWER: EDTA, ethylenediamine tetracetic acid, has a place in medicine for removing toxic amounts of lead and similar metals from the body. About 60 years ago, doctors considered the possibility of its use in removing calcium from the buildup of cholesterol and other materials that obstruct arteries. Proof of the effectiveness of this treatment has not been widely substantiated in carefully supervised trials.

Your article mentioned oral EDTA. It’s not certain that oral EDTA is absorbed by the body to any degree. No scientific body that I know of endorses this treatment.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 76. To boost my testosterone, I began taking testosterone-enhancing herbs. Two weeks later, my right testicle is three times the size of the left. There is no pain. Could anything else cause this? — F.S.

ANSWER: Painless testicle enlargement can come from serious conditions like cancer to more innocent ones such as a hydrocele, a collection of fluid in one testicle. If you are in a dark room and have a flashlight, press the lit flashlight against one side of the testicle. If fluid is in the testicle, light will pass through to the other side. You really need a doctor’s opinion about the swollen testicle. I don’t believe it’s due to your herbs. At your age, cancer would be unlikely.

Hydroceles can be drained, but they usually come back. If it’s causing discomfort, a surgeon can remove the fluid and the sack that contains it without interfering with the testicle itself.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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